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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24336598">Doubt</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/raisedinthunder/pseuds/raisedinthunder'>raisedinthunder</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Drabbles [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comfort, F/M, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Doubt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:54:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>867</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24336598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/raisedinthunder/pseuds/raisedinthunder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hange struggles with her role as Commander.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hange Zoë/Levi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Drabbles [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1541764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Doubt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Tumblr request: Could you write about Levi trying to make Hanji more confident in being the commander? Showing her that she's actually good at it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The fire was burning low in the office casting an eerie glow across the room. A single lamp lit on the desk illuminating the hunched figure sat at it.</p>
<p>Levi closed the door quietly behind him. It was late, dawn would be approaching soon.</p>
<p>‘You should get some sleep.’ He said. Hange didn’t respond, continuing to pour over reports. He watched as she shuffled through various pages, searching for what he didn’t know.</p>
<p>‘Hange..’</p>
<p>‘I’m busy Levi.’ She snapped.</p>
<p>‘Those can wait. You’re exhausted.’</p>
<p>‘I’m fine.’</p>
<p>‘Really taking a break won’t…’</p>
<p>‘I SAID I’M FINE LEVI!’ She shouted slamming her fists down onto the desk.</p>
<p>If Levi flinched slightly it thankfully went unnoticed by Hange. He remained quiet, Hange had never shouted at him like that. He watched her, Hange’s entire body seemed so tightly coiled, like one false move would cause her to break altogether. He had to approach this with caution.</p>
<p>Slowly Levi made his way over to the desk. Hange was no longer looking through the papers, instead her head was bowed, eyes down. Her fists still clenched tight where they rested on the desk. </p>
<p>‘I’m fine.’ She repeated, the anger gone replaced by a weariness Levi had never heard from her before. ‘I’m fine.’</p>
<p>Levi walked around the table coming to a stop beside her. Carefully he reached over and took her fists in his hands, gently easy them open until her hands slackened in his.</p>
<p>‘It’s okay not to be.’ He told her. </p>
<p>She looked up at him then, through a mess of dirty hair. The dark circles under her eyes startlingly prominent. The past few months had been rough. The seemingly never ending war, Jaeger disappearing, everything was piled so high on her shoulders it wasn’t surprising that she was feeling the pressure.</p>
<p>Hange leaned back in her chair, hands slipping out of Levi’s and coming to rest on her lap. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Levi moved to sit on the edge of the desk facing her. The seconds ticking by slowly with only the sound of the crackling fire to be heard.</p>
<p>‘I can’t do this.’</p>
<p>She said it so quietly Levi barely heard it. But the words were out there and it had been what Levi had most feared. Doubt.</p>
<p>Hange’s own self-doubt was crushing her. </p>
<p>‘Yes you can.’ He told her.</p>
<p>Hange let out a hollow laugh.</p>
<p>‘Everything is falling apart. Hell I couldn’t even keep Jaeger in sight. I don’t know what to do anymore.’</p>
<p>‘You’ll work it out. I know you will.’</p>
<p>‘How? How do you know that?’ She asked finally looking at him. Levi thought for a moment. It was a fair question, the truth? He didn’t really know. No one could but there was something deep in him that trusted her. Trusted whichever way she would guide them it would be their best chance.</p>
<p>‘That’s simple, because you’re you.’ He said at last.</p>
<p>Hange raised an eyebrow at him, unconvinced.</p>
<p>‘If there’s anyone who can think of a way out of this mess it’s you. As much as it pains me to say it you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met. Not to mention you have the guts to throw yourself into just about anything. That in addition to being a stubborn pain in the ass who won’t back down for anything? It’s the only combination that could leave us coming out on a positive.’</p>
<p>‘You sound so sure.’</p>
<p>‘Because I am. Hange I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t think you had this.’ He assured her. </p>
<p>‘Look at all you’ve achieved so far. Without your research, without your pushing, without your leadership after Erwin died we would never have made it. Everyone has set backs but we’ve come so far and lets face it, none of us would even be here if it wasn’t for you.’</p>
<p>Hange looked up at him, uncertainty still etched on her face.</p>
<p>‘You can do this. Erwin chose you as his successor for a reason.’</p>
<p>‘Ever think maybe he was wrong?’ Hange asked.</p>
<p>‘Never.’</p>
<p>The fell silent again for a few moments. Hange staring off into the fire. Levi watching her. He wished it had been someone else. Someone else to bear the burden of leader. To make things easier for her but he knew it could never be that way. They needed someone, they needed her.</p>
<p>‘You can do this. You’ve just gotta have some faith in yourself. Trust yourself like I do.’</p>
<p>‘Thank you.’ She said quietly, still not looking at him.</p>
<p>‘You don’t need to thank me. Just give yourself a break.’ He told her, resting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at it then back up at him. Her lips turned into the smallest of tired smiles.</p>
<p>‘Come on, I’ll make you some tea then you’re gonna sleep.’ Levi said giving her shoulder a squeeze before getting to his feet.</p>
<p>‘Ugh fine.’ Hange said begrudgingly but clambering up all the same.</p>
<p>Levi knew she still held all of the self doubt, it would probably always be there but he would just have to keep reminding and reassuring her whenever things got too much to bare.</p>
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